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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24456400">3 Ticks and We're Dead</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/vrepit_nah/pseuds/vrepit_nah'>vrepit_nah</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>KlanceTropeMonth (2020) [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Boys Kissing, First Kiss, Fluff, Gay Keith (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Self Sacrifice, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), Surprise Kissing, no one dies, self sacrificing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 11:20:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,383</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24456400</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/vrepit_nah/pseuds/vrepit_nah</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Day 7- Now Or Never Kiss</p><p>Keith and Lance encounter a bomb, trapped together in a room with no way out.</p><p>They spend their last moments together.</p><p>(Chuck AU)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Keith/Lance (Voltron)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>KlanceTropeMonth (2020) [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1762543</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>219</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>3 Ticks and We're Dead</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Keith and Lance are partners. Not in the romantic sense, but if they were, they’d either be unstoppable or die immediately, spontaneously. <em>Stupidly</em>.</p><p> </p><p>However, as a paired group for infiltration, they do their job extremely well.</p><p> </p><p>Keith wields two wicked swords. He uses them well. When enemy lines need to be cut down from the front, Keith is the man for the job. Always a few steps behind him is Lance. He is the expert in long range weaponry, and he can shift his bayard into three different types of shooting weapons. He prefers the assault rifle so he can pick out the strays or those who get dangerously close to Keith’s back.</p><p> </p><p>So, when they are sent to infiltrate a section of the Galra base to retrieve a new bomb the Galra have developed, they do their job.</p><p> </p><p>With the other Paladins providing a fiery distraction on the opposite section of the base, and Pidge skewing with every control of the base, Keith and Lance fight through the thin strays stealthily until they reach the required room where the bomb is stashed, taking down everyone in there until it’s only the two of them, panting and sweating.</p><p> </p><p>Their jobs do not exactly come with a bomb-diffusing manual.</p><p> </p><p>Lance points a finger to the screen of the bomb where it ticks down from 5 doboshes ominously. “We have to get out of here.”</p><p> </p><p>Keith doesn’t reply and instead they both dash for the door, the ticking of the bomb pounding through their ears, but the second they reach for the door, it slams shut in their faces and when Keith barrels into it, it doesn’t even dent.</p><p> </p><p>“No!” Keith shouts, slamming his hand onto the metal.</p><p> </p><p>Lance is quick to turn on the comms, his hands shaking as he eyes the bomb. “Pidge, the door locked on us. The bomb is on its countdown, 4 and a half doboshes. Get us out of here now!”</p><p> </p><p>Pidge immediately responds. “<em>There’s a vent high on the ceiling but…”</em></p><p> </p><p>“But what?” Keith snaps.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Unless you can get something under you to boost you, the jet-packs won’t be able to reach.”</em></p><p> </p><p>Lance is looking around the room rapidly and he finds the tiny shaft up there, at least forty feet high. None of the equipment in the room, as they try, shifts. He gulps as the time ticks to 2 doboshes. “Keith, I’ll boost you up and your jet-pack can take you the rest of the way.”</p><p> </p><p>Keith looks appalled at the idea. He scowls. “And leave you here to die? Don’t be stupid.”</p><p> </p><p>“Keith…”</p><p> </p><p>“Lance, <em>no</em>,” Keith growls, pushing past him. “Pidge, tell us how to disarm this thing.”</p><p> </p><p>Pidge sounds frantic, typing hurriedly. “<em>I don’t know the first thing about this bomb. It’s autonomous so I can’t hack it and I don’t have its schematics. Working on the door.”</em></p><p> </p><p>There is a loud beep that makes Keith and Lance flinch as if it is setting off, but it only marks the 1 dobosh count. Lance is shaking and sweating and the last thing he wants is for Keith to die. He removes his helmet and rests it on a machine, gulping. “I’m boosting you up.”</p><p> </p><p>Keith is furious and beautiful, Lance thinks. His dark hair is falling over his face underneath his helmet and he is taut like a stretched wire.</p><p> </p><p>He is scared.</p><p> </p><p>Still, Keith shoves his bayard in is belt and determination makes him settle. He tugs Lance underneath the vent and cups his hands together. “Okay, Lance, that’s enough. Jump. I’m going to try and stay and diffuse it.”</p><p> </p><p>“With what instructions?” Lance asks, catching Keith’s arms tightly. “I’m not leaving you here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Go, that’s an order.”</p><p> </p><p>Lance’s eyes narrow at his leader. At someone he would love to call his. Keith is an idiot to think Lance is ever leaving him behind. So, he straightens up and growls, “no.”</p><p> </p><p>In a split second, Keith has his bayard activated and the pointed tip of the sword is pressing against Lance’s throat. His grip is trembling, as is his bottom lip when he orders, “I said <em>go</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I see,” Lance says sarcastically, throwing his arms out. “So, you’re gonna <em>shoot</em> <em>me</em> to prevent me from being blown up? That's a great plan!”</p><p> </p><p>“Why are you so <em>stubborn</em>?!” Keith shouts desperately.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>10 ticks left.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Actually, I consider this a rare moment of courage. I don’t know where it’s coming from, but I guess you just bring out the worst in me.”</p><p> </p><p>The last five seconds, they spend staring at each other, teary-eyed and terrified, but when the ticker strikes 3 ticks, Keith is ripping his helmet off and throwing it before grabbing the front of Lance’s suit and dragging him into an open-mouthed, desperate kiss.</p><p> </p><p>Lance presses harder into Keith, grabbing his hips in a tight grip as their lips move fast and passionate until he feels so dizzy he thinks he’s going to pass out. But Keith isn’t stopping, isn’t waiting, just pulling sounds out of him as he wraps his hands around Lance’s neck to filthily lick into him and bite down on his bottom lip until Lance is groaning.</p><p> </p><p>And for a second, they forget they’re going to die.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>1…</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>0…</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Gasping, Lance finds it in him to pull away, not because he wants to, but because there’s a niggling though that has him stricken.</p><p> </p><p>They…they aren’t dead. There’s no explosion or fire or ash. There’s no screaming or crying.</p><p> </p><p>Keith is gorgeous and swollen-lipped, watching Lance in a daze. “Wha—“ his eyes grow wide. “Wait.”</p><p> </p><p>Keith and Lance turn to the bomb. The timer displays a dim 0. They take a few more seconds, anticipating the inevitable blast. Their hands are intertwined as they wait.</p><p> </p><p>Nothing happens.</p><p> </p><p>Keith clears his throat, the sound echoing dully, eyes flickering to Lance where the Cuban boy is blushing furiously. “Okay, the good news is we’re both still alive. The bad news is that right now this is a really awkward moment.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not so awkward on my end,” Lance says, smiling shyly. He grips onto Keith’s hand harder to make his leader look at him. “Did you mean it? Because I know no matter the circumstance, I’ve wanted to do that for like forever and now that’s it’s happened, I don’t want to forget it so—”</p><p> </p><p>“I meant it,” Keith admits.</p><p> </p><p>They stare at each other, blue and indigo clashing until red and pink lips clash as well, this time softer, less hurried and more loving. Lance is humming into Keith, curling his hand around Keith’s head to tangle his fingers into dark locks. Keith backs him into a machine and Lance hisses, but he quickly goes to connect his lips Keith’s. “God, Lance,” Keith breathes, pressing a leg between Lance’s and cupping his jaw to tilt his head. The second their mouths open, Lance keens.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Well, it’s awkward for us, at least.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Pidge’s voice startles them but they don’t separate too far. Instead, Lance is keeping Keith close to brush a short kiss to Keith’s cheek.</p><p> </p><p>Keith blinks several times. A blush erupts on his face and the spot kissed tingles wildly. “Uh… how—how are we alive?” he hasn’t looked away from Lance.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Beats us</em>,” Pidge replies.</p><p> </p><p>When they finally pull apart to check on the bomb, they witness it opening up on itself, like the top wired part acted as a lid. It slides open and frosty air spills out with a hiss, and when they drift closer, there are thick, glass jars filled with a purple glowing substance.</p><p> </p><p>Lance frowns. “It isn’t a bomb. That’s quintessence, and the timer was—”</p><p> </p><p>“It was just a refrigeration timing,” Keith completes in relief. “I thought it was bad.”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, hello, it <em>is</em> bad? This is like Galra red bull.”</p><p> </p><p>Keith shrugs. “We blow it up, then.”</p><p> </p><p>Lance pinches the bridge of his nose. “Pidge? Status on the door?”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Couple doboshes. Settle for a bit. We’ll blow the base to sky high once you’re out.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Well,” Lance sighs, sitting on the floor and kicking his legs out. “We’re gonna be stuck in here for a bit. What say we get back to what we had been doing?”</p><p> </p><p>Keith rolls his eyes but doesn’t fight when Lance tugs him into his lap.</p><p> </p>
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